A few processes are regulated by the Environment Agency. You will need to contact us so we can check.

As part of our investigation it may be necessary to take noise measurements or witness the noise from the property affected, to determine if the noise levels are excessive.

A visit outside normal working hours may be required if the noise occurs during the evening or weekends. In some cases it is appropriate to install noise monitoring equipment at affected premises.

It is our policy to work with businesses to discuss the issues and achieve the necessary improvements, whenever possible. But in some cases where this co-operation is not being given we have to rely on our formal powers.

Should a Statutory Nuisance be established we will serve an abatement notice on the business responsible requiring them to take measures to reduce noise levels. Failure to comply with the abatement notice can lead to prosecution.

We also work very closely with our Planning team when a proposal for a new business has been submitted for planning approval. This is to try and ensure that all reasonable steps are being taken to minimise noise in the new development if it is given permission or to explain why we think the proposal is unsuitable.

There are cases where people complain about a noise and it is not considered to amount to a statutory nuisance. In these cases, we cannot force a business to take any action, although affected people would still be able to try to take their own action.